10 Things To Do This Winter In Korea

The chills are here to stay, but don’t let them keep you indoors and away from the fun. Like any other season, there’s still plenty to do across the country. Grab a coat, a parka, or whatever you call the warmest thing in your house, top it off with a hat and some mittens and grab some friends for some frolicking in the snow to come!

10. Amusement Parks (November 9, 2013 – December 31, 2013)

If you haven’t been to Lotte World, Everlandor Seoul Land yet, this might be just the right time to head to one of these amusement parks in order to experience some great Christmas Festival madness. Celebrating Christmas in Korea is a little different than back home, but head to any of these amusement parks for lots of red, white and green, jingle bells, carols blasting and Santa Claus’s ho-hoing to put you right in the merry spirit. Lotte World (W25,000 for adults) and Seoul Land (W18,000) run until December 25th, while Everland (W33,000) will continue festivities until December 31st.

9. Skiing & Snowboarding(December 2013 – March 2014)

With easy-access shuttle buses from Seoul, three ski resorts that you should not miss out on this winter are Phoenix Park Resort, Yongpyong Resort and Bears Town for your skiing and snowboarding urges. Bears Town is the closest and Yongpyong the furthest, but as they’ll be open from the end of November until March, there is plenty of time to visit all three.

8. Ice Skating (early December 2013 – late February 2014)

While there are ice skating rinks that are open year round in Seoul, come winter some special rinks are put together for those in the outdoor skating spirit. Special rinks that are only open during the winter season include the popular Seoul Plaza Ice Rink that runs from December 16th to February 23rd outside of City Hall Station exit 7 at a steal for only W1,000. Two of the cheaper options are Sangam World Cup Rink at the World Cup Stadium which opens on December 3rd and Olympic Park Ice Rink at Olympic Park Station which opens on December 10th at around W3,000 including skates.

7. The Nutcracker Ballet(December 18, 2013 – December 25, 2013)

To get some of the Christmas spirit that you may be missing from back home, head to the ballet for a show that is sure to get your jingle bells ringing. The Nutcracker will be playing in Seocho-gu at the Seoul Arts Center from December 18th to December 25th and tickets range in price from W5,000 to W90,000. The ballet is also being performed at the Universal Art Center in Gwangjin-gu from December 20th to December 31st and tickets there range from W10,000 to W100,000. Both shows should be a treat for the eyes and the ears.

It seems like the fruit festivals should be done this late in the year, but there is still one more to go for the fruit lovers in the country. Yeongdong is known as the “Holy Land of Fruit” since it produces the most fruit in the nation and the persimmons are exceptionally delicious from this area. Visitors can make their own jam at the festival, practice peeling persimmons, get a foot bath in persimmon peels as well as enjoy traditional performances and more.

As if you needed an excuse to go shopping. But, if you did, here it is: 45 days, 92 companies and over 27,000 stores including department stores, hotels, outlets, malls and other entertainment events on sale! The Korea Grand Sale will be even bigger and offer even more savings than ever before, so if you’ve been saving up for something special now’s the time to get the best prices. Go go go!

Known as the first area in Korea to freeze over every winter, this festival gets visitors into the winter weather with ice fishing, ice sculptures, sledding, ice trains, ice skating and pretty much as many icy events as they can muster under the theme of “Unfrozen Hearts, Unforgettable Memories.” Pack your camera, grab some friends and make your own memories on ice.

If you’re only going to partake in one winter festival this season, this is the one to plan for. Taebaeksan means “great white mountain” and for good reason; it’s famous for the heavy snowfall that it gets every year. Attendees can get an eyeful of ice sculptures and other winter-themed artwork as well as take a ride through a snow tunnel, ride a dog sled, go sledding, make a snowman and more. There are also twinkling light displays for night-time jaunts.

The winter ice is thawing, or so we hope by the end of February, and it’s time for Uljin’s specialty, snow crabs! Snow crab-eating contests, fishing for snow crabs, tug-of-wars, yacht rides and giant crab kimbap are only a few of the things that can be enjoyed at this festival. “Say goodbye to the snow while eating snow crab with friends,” should be the motto of this end-of-winter festival.

*All photos from the websites provided.

The original post was published on The Soul of Seoul. This article cannot be republished unless authorized.

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About the Author

Hallie Bradley writes on her travels in Korea, daily life, the culture and traditions as well as on lessons learned from her Korean husband and in-laws. What was once only going to be a year abroad, has turned into seven and likely many more. She can be followed on Tumblr or Wordpress under the name The Soul of Seoul for up to date articles and pictures.

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